Kawartha Choice Farm Fresh

A visit with Jackie of “Gourmet Safari”

Karen — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:04 +0000

It was a Friday morning the day after a big winter storm. I had a visit with Jackie of Gourmet Safari, out in Mount Pleasant. She has a beautiful century farm house that is also a B&B. The reason for my visit, to see her place, get a feel for who she is and what she does and to help identify some new market opportunities to grow her business.
We sat at her stunning kitchen island where she also offers cooking classes. What does this woman not do! Over coffee and out of the oven homemade muffins we talked about the many opportunities she could incorporate that will grow her business & those of key agricultural & community partners. Businesses working together generate more awareness and cross-promotion at very little cost for all involved.
Jackie sent me home with some of her yummy Gourmet Safari creations; Tex Mex Chili, Down Home Corn Chowder, Mount Pleasant handmade Granola, Turkish Apricot Exotic Chocolate Bark, and two spice rubs, “Savour the Kawartha’s Wing & Rib BBQ Spice Blend and Savour Marrakesh Kasbah Spice blend. I love my job!! Now, I want you to know, I didn’t keep this all to myself.
I shared the “Tex Mex Chili” with my son, daughter & her friend who came home for the weekend, (he’s an OHL hockey player). We all loved it and they wanted me to get more. It was packaged perfectly for students out on their own too! I shared the “Down Home Corn Chowder” with my colleagues Brigid & Susan. It too was fabulous, so good, and wholesome. It gave us the energy to tackle the afternoon. The chocolate bark was unlike anything I have ever tasted, I kept most of it myself. I have not yet tried the granola or the rubs... this weekend. I am also sharing these with my colleagues, really!
If you are interested in learning more about Gourmet Safari, visit her website http://www.gourmetsafari.com I believe the more we work together the more we all benefit.

enjoying Gourmet Safari "Tex Mex Chili"

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition 2012!

Karen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:30:20 +0000

Workforce Development Board, – Do you have what it takes to take an idea and turn it into a successful business opportunity? If so, enter the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition. Start that business today.

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is modeled after CBC’s Dragon’s Den, where you compete in one of four regional competitions held in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Northumberland. Like the television show, contestants pitch their business plans to a panel of judges. One winner from each region moves on to compete in the grand finale at Showplace Performance Centre, Peterborough. At both the regional and grand finale, contestants compete for prize packages that include cash, business products or services.

Ron Buist, marketing guru, will be the keynote speaker and finale judge. Buist was Tim Horton’s Marketing Director for 24-years, where he turned a once unknown donut shop into one of Canada’s leading franchise organizations.

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is a community based initiative developed and organized by Workforce Development Board. Community partners include TD Bank, Sun Media Corporation, Pineridge Broadcasting, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Microage, Studio-N, EV Zone Media, Terry G. Windrem and the Small Business Advisory and Enterprise Centres.

Competition details, application, and rules and regulations are available at www.bearslair.ca.

◦Submit your application via email to Workforce Development Board by 4:00 pm February 17, 2012

Profitable Pastures ‘‘12 & Trade Show

Karen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:04:51 +0000

Profitable Pastures ‘‘12 & Trade Show

Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Ops Community Centre-Lindsay

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Elmwood Community Centre

Featuring Key Speaker:
Dr. Garry D. Lacefield
Professor of Plant & Soil Science Extension
Extension Forage Specialist
University of Kentucky

To register phone 1-877-892-8663.
Tickets $35 — includes hot beef dinner
Visa or Mastercard.
Pre-registration required by February 23
For more information check out our website
www.ontarioforagecouncil.com

It was a long haul, but we did it!

kcff — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:12:26 +0000

Spring 2011, we were approached by Northumberland County to became a partner with 8 other communities within Eastern Ontario to be involved with a first of it's kind, Local Food Business Retention & Expansion project.
In the Greater Peterborough Area we identified 100 businesses associated with local food. These were broken down into four sections. Retail, Processors, Food & beverage & Producers. To achieve an accurate picture we needed to complete approximately 70 surveys and thanks to our volunteers, we did it.
We had a great representation of stakeholders sit on our steering committee and volunteer to administer the surveys with their peers. Each survey took approximately 2 hours to complete.
These surveys are used to develop economic strategies to help industries thrive and are proven to be successful in Ontario.
By conducting the survey in a regional partnership, each community benefits from the information required for internal development but also receive information on overarching themes and goals.
We look forward to receiving the data back early spring 2012 and working closely with our stakeholders to develop an action plan that has the potential to identify new market opportunities and to build local food capacity within our region.

Lindsay Farmers’ Market Downtown Christmas Craft Sale

Katie — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:01:45 +0000

Lindsay Farmers' Market Christmas Craft Sale. 2 Saturdays--Dec. 10/11 & Dec. 17/11 9:30-3:30 both Saturdays at Victoria Park Armoury Downtown Lindsay, Kent St. & Victoria Ave. We will have veggies, baking, preserves, & tons of crafts for every one on your Christmas list.

Getaway for 2 in the Kawarthas

kcff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:21:03 +0000

Congratulations to Rose of Oakville, Ontario. She was our Winner in our "Getaway for 2 in the Kawarthas" A Big Thank You to our sponsors...

The Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront Riverside Grill & Gazebo
38 Degrees Restaurant
Showplace Performance Centre
Canadian Canoe Museum

Rose, Your getaway includes the following… ? Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront Riverside Grill & Gazebo ~ one night accommodation for two and buffet breakfast for 2 ~ February 4, 2011 ? 38 Degrees Restaurant ~ $100 gift certificate ? Showplace Performance Centre ~ 2 tickets for “Flamenco From the Heart” presented by Showplace and Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Co. - Friday February 4, 2011 ? Canadian Canoe Museum ~ 2 tickets Again Congratulations Rose and thank you for visiting us, Kawartha Choice FarmFresh at our booth in the Eastern Ontario Pavilion at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto 2010. We know you'll enjoy yourselves here in the Kawarthas!

Hear more from us

kcff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:41:06 +0000

Check out the sub-categories to the left for neat topics we've got to talk about!

Bring Food Home Conference – Last Chance to Register

kcff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:38:04 +0000

Be sure to get your registration in now for the Bring Food Home Conference. Deadline has been extended to October 22nd.

Bring Food Home

kcff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:26:49 +0000

“The Bring Food Home conference is exactly the kind of networking and awareness-building get-together that moves the local food imperative forward. You should go to this shindig.”
- Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm

Bring Food Home is Ontario’s biennial conference connecting those individuals and organizations who are working towards a sustainable food system. Join us in transforming the future of food.

The conference will be held in Peterborough, ON October 27, 28, 29. Workshops and plenaries will be at Trent University with tours and speaking events throughout Peterborough and the Kawartha region.

For information about Bring Food Home 2010 (last year’s inaugural conference) please visit http://sustainontario.com/initiatives/bring-food-home-2010-conference.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Register NOW. .

The Feast of Local Flavours

Friday October 28, Doors Open at 6pm

$45 per person

Bring Food Home: The Conference

**We have just added a new special rate for producers who wish to attend our Farmer-to-Farmer Training Day on Thursday October 27th — now you can attend for just $75 for the entire day!**

October 27 – 29, 2011

Standard full conference registration:
$375 (whole conference)

Standard single day registration:
$150 (for each day)

Non-profit/primary producer/full-time student’s full conference registration:
$275 (whole conference )

Non-profit/primary producer/full-time student’s single day registration:
$110 (for each day)

Primary Producer – Farmer to Farmer Training Day Only: $75

Speakers and organizers:

$175 (whole conference)
$75 (for each single day)

For more information or to register, please visit www.bringfoodhome.com

And the Winner Is…

kcff — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:31:46 +0000

The Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront’s Gazebo bar wrapped up another very successful season for itself and for local farmers. The Kawartha Choice Challenge VII involved 12 different local farms (McIntosh Beef Farm, Traynor Beef Farm, Evergreen Farm (pork), Ptbo Buffalo Farm, Sugar Valley Farm (beef), Miller Farm (chicken), Heritage Hills Farm (lamb), French’s Beef Farm, Golden Fleece Farms (lamb) & Ashburnham Farm & Gaelic Garlic (beef), Cows & Cranio Inc (beef) & Merrylynd Organic (beef)) in which the Gazebo each week featured one of the farms foods in a special recipe created by Executive Chef Martin Vanden Anker and his team cuisine. The farm bounty included a variety of proteins from local farms as well as goat cheese from Crosswind Farm, various Ontario cheeses from Chasing the Cheese and fresh buns from East City Bake Shop. Gazebo patio guests ordering the Kawartha Choice burger were asked to rate the feature on a scale of 1-5. The best average score that was calculated would be declared the winner. The Gazebo was proud to announce the winner of this annual event as Golden Fleece Farms from Bailieboro, owned and operated by Ruco Braat, who’s burger’s 87.36% average rating was the cream of the crop. Golden Fleece also sell wool blankets along with their lamb from their farm and their product can also be found at Peterborough Farmers’ Market, Rural Routes, Craftworks, The Country Corner & Maggie’s Meat Market. The winning recipe was The Moroccan Fleece Burger. There is still plenty of time to fire up your BBQ and try it out for yourself at home with the below recipe….or better yet head on down to the Riverside Grill and try it there as the annual Kawartha’s Choice farm also wins a spot on their lunch menu for the next year. “It is a great feeling to see the continued growth of the Kawartha Choice program in the area, not only at our restaurant and patio but in other local restaurants and catering companies as well” says Grant Zwarych who started the program at the Holiday Inn 7 years ago. “North America continues to produce more locavores who enjoy supporting local farms and the great products that they have to offer as well as helping reduce our carbon footprints. We saw a 39.29% increase in Kawartha Choice burger sales this year over previous year which is just amazing! Thank you for everyone that visited the Gazebo that chose to buy local.” This year’s challenge saw 1601 Kawartha Choice burgers purchased along with 195 Gazebo Maple Sausages (made for the Gazebo by Franz’s Butcher Shop). “We are proud to support our local farmers and know that our annual Gazebo challenge helps raise awareness in the buy local campaign that we have been a part of since the inception of Kawartha Choice. There are many great options out there for people to purchase local at the Farmers’ Market or thru farm gate sales. www.kawarthachoice.com. When you buy from our local farmers, you know you are getting quality product and I would highly recommend those that have never done so, to give one of our local farms a try. We look forward to another great Kawartha Choice Challenge next summer”. The Riverside Grill is listed in this month’s LCBO Food & Drink magazine, participating in the goLOCAL campaign offering a great three course local menu option until October 8th featuring more great Kawartha Choice selections. They invite everyone to come down and try this delectable menu and complement it with one of the fantastic VQA Ontario wines on their wine list. The Riverside Grill will be featuring Kawartha Choice Prime Rib Thursday’s starting Oct 6th to coincide with the beginning of Peterborough Petes hockey season. Make sure you stop in before the game. Prime Rib, Pints/Pinot Noir, Petes, Pucks….Perfect! The Holiday Inn continues to grow their local offerings with Kawartha Choice menu options in their banquet facilities and have sold several functions with this option. Contact Lisa Smith at 705-740-6581 to arrange your local banquet function today. If you ate today…thank a farmer. To see the full recipe...visit our recipe section under "Find local Products"